FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: April 8, 2008 Justin Vickers, Supervisory Inspector 228-224-1008   Moss Point Murder Suspect arrested in Tampa, Florida   A Moss Point man’s run from the law ended Monday afternoon when he was arrested by members of the U.S. Marshal’s Tampa Bay Area Fugitive Task Force. Tony M. Howard Jr., 22 years of age, was wanted for the February 16, 2008 murder of Lorenzo Nettles at the “Touch of Class” night club in Moss Point. Since the murder, Howard has been featured in local media outlets as one of the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s Most Wanted and on the U.S Marshals website. This media attention led to an anonymous tip to the U.S. Marshals indicating that Howard might be in the Tampa area. Investigators in the Tampa area canvassed the streets and eventually developed an address where Howard was hiding out. As police approached the apartment, Howard leapt from a second floor window and was arrested after a brief foot chase. Nehemiah Flowers, Jr., U. S. Marshal for the Southern District of Mississippi, was quoted as saying “Once again, the long arm of the law has grabbed a man who thought he could run from justice. Now, this fugitive will have his day in court, and hopefully this arrest will bring some peace to the victim’s family”. The Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force is headquartered in Birmingham, AL, and has offices in Gulfport, Jackson, and Oxford, Mississippi. The Gulfport office is comprised of Deputy U.S. Marshals and officers from the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Biloxi Police Department, and the Gulfport Police Department. The objective of the task force is to seek out and arrest fugitives wanted for violent crimes, sex offenses, weapons related or drug offenses. Additional information about the U. S. Marshals and its fugitive apprehension mission can be found at www.usmarshals.gov .